The invention relates to a lock for a luggage box installed overhead in the cabin of an aircraft, comprising a stationary housing and a lid that is articulated about a rotary axis, having a locking pin device that is or can be arranged on the housing, carrying at least one locking pin, and at least one catch that is or can be mounted on the lid which comprises at least one locking hook that is articulated about a pivot axis for engaging the locking pin to lock the lock, and with a manually actuatable drive device for pivoting the locking hook away from the locking pin to unlock the lock.
The primary function of such a lock is to securely lock and unlock the lid or luggage bin or container of a luggage box in all flight conditions including emergency landing conditions. The drive device within the lock is connected by a mechanical connection member to an operating button or handle, which is mounted on the lid such that it can be operated from outside the luggage box. The operation of the button or handle leads in the known lock to a rotary motion of the mechanical connection means by which the lock is unlocked. Here, the lock is embodied such that an unintentional opening in the loaded or unloaded state of the luggage box is prevented. In aeronautical engineering it is required that the lock is provided with a fail-safe function. For this purpose, a dual lock is provided. In the known lock, this dual locking is achieved on the one hand by a locking pin, which is engaged by a locking hook and on the other hand by a catch pin, which for the opened lid of the luggage box projects from the catch, however upon closing the lid of the luggage box it is pressed into the housing of the catch by the locking pin device. Both the locking pin as well as the catch pin are each individually capable of carry the required loads.
In the known locking mechanism for a luggage box it is problematic that two locks must be operated by the pivotal handle provided in the middle of the lid, which is arranged at one and/or the other end of the lid, for which the pivotal handle and the two shafts must be assembled on one axis for both catches. The pivotal handle performs a rotary motion, which via the shafts is transmitted to the catches of the locks. In each catch the rotary motion is respectively transferred into a pivotal motion of the locking hook. Completely independent therefrom, the catch pin of each lock is brought into its locking position by closing the lid. The locking pin device presses the catch pin, which pass said arrangement, into the housing of the catch. When the locks and the pivotal handle cannot be mounted on one axis, the known lock cannot be used at all. Further, it is problematic that the construction of the shafts and their mounting at the lid required for operating the lock of prior art leads to additional weight, higher expenses for parts, and an increased assembly expense, all of which being extremely undesirable in aeronautical engineering. Finally, in the lock of prior art the locking pin device can be adjusted in two axes. The locking pin simultaneously serves as a contact for a final stop. This is disadvantageous in that with every adjustment of the locking pin device, the contact of the final stop must also be adjusted and set. Additionally, the opening of the lock occurs by pulling the operating handle. Due to the fact that no transmission is provided between the operating handle and the shaft, higher operating forces are required.
A lock for housings, tool boxes, or the like is known from US 2002/00 56 296 A1. This lock has two locking pins on a lid and two locking hooks pivotal about a pivotal axis, which are pivoted jointly at a manually actuated drive arrangement. A luggage box in an airplane must have two locks, which can be operated by a joint operating button. The known lock is unsuitable for this purpose. It can be operated by two push buttons, which are arranged at the left and the right of the lock. The push buttons are connected to the locking hook by a common stiff operating member, with the displacement thereof allowing both locking hooks to be pivoted. Such a lock may not be used for the luggage box of an aircraft because the locking hooks cannot be operated separately. When one locking hook becomes blocked, here the other locking hook would also be blocked.
From GB 2 168 748 A, a lock is known for locking a sliding door to a door frame. The lock comprises two locking hooks respectively pivotal about a pivot axis, which are pivoted jointly via a drive arrangement in the form of a gear rack. This known lock is not suitable for a luggage box of an airplane, either, because both locking hooks, at least in the opening direction, can only be pivoted jointly. When one locking hook becomes blocked in the closed state the other locking hook also could no longer be opened by the drive device.